Parenting — Character Development

• Imaginary Friends: Should You Be Concerned

  Children may talk to their imaginary friends, draw with them, or even read books to them. And plenty of parents have had to set an extra place at the dinner table for the "friend." So are children’s imaginary playmates cause for concern? In most cases, the answer is No. Imaginary friends are a pretty normal part of growing up, especially during the toddler years, and they serve several important functions.

• Respect: How To Teach It And Show It

  One of the most important things you can teach your child is respect. Keep in mind that respect is not the same as obedience. Children might obey because they are afraid. If they respect you, they will obey because they know you want what’s best for them.

• Guilt Tripping

  Parents who use shame and guilt as a motivator do so because they believe that the technique is needed to encourage children to change. The idea is that if children can be shamed into feeling guilty, they will change their behavior and do what their parents desire.

• Chores and What They Mean to Your Child

  In the beginning, we want to be sure that we teach our children the life skills that will allow them to take care of themselves when we are no longer around or not wanted around. But then, we realize that as a lateral benefit, not only is our child learning good housekeeping skills, but also dexterity, task mastery, and self-sufficiency, which leads to a self-actualized child.

• Basics of Respectful Parenting

  Most people parented between the 1940’s and 1980’s were raised with parents who answered most why questions with “Because I said so” or “Because I’m your mother/father.” Old-style parents didn’t see a need to explain what their reasoning was nor did they bother to explain how they had come to their conclusions to their children. Things were the way they were because they were. Thus children were largely told what to do, how to do it, and if they didn’t comply they were punished. They weren’t taught by example how to reason things through and decide between a few options what might work best and why it might work best.

• Designer Children: How Do We Get Back to Basics?

  All over the United States middle class parents are surrendering to the unreasonable demands of their terrorist children. However, everyone knows that giving into terrorists rarely works; in fact, it just increases their appetite for more. Parents, don’t be afraid to take back your power! Children are blatantly letting you know that they are experiencing self-doubts and fears. Nudge them past their negativities and insecurities to emerge from the cocoon into the light of their empowerment. Here are eight tips to invest in your children’s good values and self-worth.

• Motivation for Good Grades

  “It’s not fair! All our friends get paid for good grades. Jeff gets $15.00 for each A!” How many times have parents heard this complaint? Sorry … in my household, we don’t pay for any type of grades.

• Teaching Kids About Money (Part II) – Raising Money Savvy Kids in American Society

  You have to develop a system that conveys to kids the important principles of finances. It goes without saying that you have to practice what you preach, because as we know, kids follow what they see you do more so than what you say.